Andrew Gilder

Director, Climate Legal, South Africa

Andrew Gilder is one of South Africa’s leading private sector environmental, climate change and carbon markets lawyer – he is a Director of Climate Legal, with more than twenty-three years’ legal practice experience specialising in climate change (mitigation and adaptation), climate finance and development, carbon markets, carbon tax, environmental and energy law, policy and governance. His practical experience extends over a range of African jurisdictions, including advice to public and private sectors on the development and implementation of climate change, climate finance, carbon markets, carbon tax, environmental and energy law, policy and governance as well as regulatory and transactional advice to industries, foreign embassies and municipalities on the implementation of infrastructure development projects. His practical experience includes advising government, businesses and industries on climate change policy development and its implications, including climate change business risks and opportunities, assessing commercial relationships against evolving climate change policy and regulation and relevant contractual considerations, as well as advising on, negotiating and drafting of commercial contracts required to secure financial and logistical positions in the carbon market. He is also responsible for drafting the South African Climate Change Act 2024, for the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, together with related legal instruments, and was extensively involved in South Africa’s adaptation legal and policy alignment process. Andrew has worked on climate change legislation and strategy in Zimbabwe, Thailand, Mongolia, The Seychelles and the Southern African Development Community and has been recognised as a leading lawyer by PLC Which Lawyer? 2012 (Environment, South Africa), Best Lawyers 2018, 2020–24 (Environment, South Africa) and Chambers and Partners 2021–2024 (Environment, South Africa), and was shortlisted for an African Legal Award, in 2015. Andrew is the co-editor and co-author of three seminal works in the South African climate change and carbon market arena, namely: Climate Change Law and Governance in South Africa (Juta, 2016) (South Africa’s first comprehensive treatise on climate change law and governance), Concise Guide to Carbon Tax (LexisNexis, October 2020) and Comprehensive Guide to Carbon Tax (LexisNexis, March 2022).

Andrew Ocama

Coordinator, East Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance

Andrew Ocama is a seasoned sustainable development professional with more than 14 years’ experience in the carbon markets. He has served in several carbon asset development management and consulting roles in the region and led teams to remarkable degrees of measurable success in both the Gold Standard and CDM. He is a long-standing supporter of the Alliance and has been available to contribute to several consultations regarding carbon market systems formation especially with regard to Article 6. He took on the role of the Alliance coordinator in the fourth quarter of 2024 and is leading on the implementation of the organizational strategy, institutional growth, and the delivery of projects, mainly country structural priorities, with regard to readiness for carbon markets access and climate finance. He most recently served as an embedded Climate Finance Advisor working with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change in Ethiopia supporting the Ministry of Planning and Development in the development of systems for carbon markets and the sovereign wealth fund in the development of a climate strategy and a pipeline of projects. Before that, he served in Senior Management roles with Evidence Action, leading in the issuance of more than 2.4 million carbon credits certified under the CDM and Gold Standard. He previously led country programs for Co2balance in Uganda and Rwanda and has served as a consultant on development of African clean cooking and hydro power carbon projects with the South Pole Group.

Ayub Ochieng Buyu

Farmer, Trees for the Future

Ayub Buyu is a dedicated smallholder farmer practicing sustainable and regenerative agriculture as part of the Lake Victoria Watershed Carbon Project in Kenya. Over the last two years he has successfully implemented the Forest Garden Approach and integrated agroforestry, soil conservation and other climate-smart practices on his 2.5 acre farm. Passionate about environmental conservation, he has participated in training programs on carbon sequestration, water conservation, composting, permagardening and harvesting techniques. He is in the process of improving his farm’s soil fertility, increasing his crop yields and securing food security for his family. Beyond farming, he works closely with his community to encourage their adoption of sustainable farming practices. As his farmer group’s grievance officer, he supports the handling of community issues and has been able to solve problems successfully. His long-term vision is to continue to restore degraded landscapes and ensure a better livelihood for his and other future generations. He is proud to represent all the famers of South Kanyamkago Ward, Migori Region, Kenya at the CMAS25.

Anelisa Matutu

Head: Commodities, Capital Markets, JSE

Anelisa Matutu is the Head of Commodities at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)with experience spanning over 15 years in stock market and financial services. In her current role, Anelisa manages growth strategies, operational and divisional outputs, and is responsible for product development and innovation in the commodities market.
Prior to her current role, Anelisa was the Manager for Commodities and a Senior Commodities Specialist in the Capital Markets. Before this, she served as a Commodity Derivatives Officer in Commodity Derivatives.
Anelisa holds a master’s degree in business administration and a postgraduate diploma from GIBS Business School she received a BCom undergraduate degree from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Peng Liu

Senior Climate Finance Specialist, World Bank

Peng Liu is a Climate Finance Specialist in the Climate Finance Mobilization unit of the Climate Change Group at the World Bank. In his current role, he manages the Carbon Initiative for Development (Ci-Dev), a World Bank trust fund that utilize result-based climate finance and carbon market to mobilize private finance for clean energy access in low-income countries.
Mr. Liu joined the Bank in 2015. He has since held various positions in the Climate Change Group, leading climate finance operations implementation, carbon market capacity building, trust fund management, stakeholder engagement, and portfolio management. Before joining the Bank, he was a Senior Project Manager with China CITIC Group, managing urban transit and railway projects in the Middle East. Peng holds an MBA from Georgetown University, a Master of Business Law from University of International Business and Economics, and a BA in Economics from Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Mkuthazi Steleki

Director: Climate Change Developments and International Mechanisms, Department of Fisheries Forestry and the Environment (DFFE)

BIO TBC

Nick Marshall

Co-founder & Head of Carbon TASC

BIO TBC

Dr. Olufunso Somorin

Regional Principal Officer, AfDB, Kenya

Dr. Olufunso Somorin is a Regional Principal Officer at the African Development Bank. He leads the Bank’s work on climate change and green growth in the 13 countries of the Bank’s East African region. This includes supporting countries’ access to climate finance for climate actions, and mainstreaming climate change in policies and programs. He leads strategic dialogues with public and private institutions on policy frameworks for managing local/regional socio-economic issues, climate change, renewable energy, carbon markets, infrastructure, ESG and inclusive growth. Between 2013 and 2017, he coordinated the Bank’s work on addressing fragility and building resilience within the Horn of Africa. In the last 13+ years in the Bank, he has been directly involved in the design, appraisal, and supervision of more than 300 development projects across multiple sectors, worth more than USD 20 billion. Over the last 17 years, Dr Somorin has published more than 50 articles on climate policy in Africa and has spoken at 300+ conferences and events.

Renier van Vuuren

CEO, Pro Green Earth & co-founder and Managing Director, Impuls Africa, Pro Green Earth

BIO TBC

Olivia Tuchten

Principal Climate Change Advisor, Promethium Carbon, South Africa

Olivia Tuchten is a Director at the Promethium group of companies, which is a multi-disciplinary team of independent and passionate carbon and climate change advisors.
She represents Promethium on the Executive Committee of the Project Developer Forum, a collaborative association of companies and practitioners that are developing and financing greenhouse gas emission reduction projects around the world, as well as the ISO Technical Committee 207 (Environmental Management). In her personal capacity, she is a UNFCCC nominated expert and was also on the Article 6.4 Mechanism Roster of Experts as a “Methodologies Expert” until March 2025.
She holds a Masters in Business Administration and undertook her research dissertation on the advantages of strategic alliances in the South African renewable energy industry, with specific reference to the first phase of the recent Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme undertaken in South Africa to drive development of the renewables sector.
She has worked in the climate sector for over 15 years, and has been involved in the development, registration and issuance of carbon offset projects for this length of time. Her passion is to develop and grow carbon markets in Southern Africa and across the continent.

Lawrence Cole-Morgan

Global Markets: Lead, Carbon Credit Trading, Standard bank

Lawrence Cole-Morgan holds a law degree from the University of Birmingham and is a UK-qualified solicitor. He has also recently obtained a master’s degree in Environmental and Energy Law, also from the University of Birmingham. Lawrence spent 5 years as a banking and finance lawyer with leading English and New York law firms before moving into banking, where he worked in structured finance for Bankers Trust and Deutsche in London, Singapore, and Tokyo. In 2010, Lawrence joined Standard Bank’s Investment Banking team, where he worked on numerous financing transactions, and in 2022, he moved to the Global Markets division of Standard Bank to set up the bank’s carbon credit trading and finance business.

Heather McEwan

Regional Representative, Africa, and the Middle East - Strategy, Policy, and Markets Department, Verra

As Regional Representative for Africa and the Middle East in Verra's Government and Policy Engagement Department, Heather provides guidance and support to project developers, Governments, investors, and NGOs that utilize Verra programs, standards, and frameworks to achieve climate and sustainable development goals.

Before working at Verra, Heather worked in the environmental, energy, and carbon industries in South Africa and the State of Kuwait in the Middle East.

In South Africa, her first company (Crowther Campbell & Associates) conducted environmental impact assessments (EIAs). Before they were legally required to work on large-scale industrial projects within the country, they informed the current South African EIA processes that became legal in 1998 under the Department of Environment Affairs.

In Kuwait, she worked on the United Nations Compensation Fund that commissioned state-of-the-environment projects for damages incurred during the Iraqi invasion—country–to–-country as opposed to company-scale projects. The results of this multi-million dollar project informed the UN Courts how much to award from the oil fund Iraq contributed towards the State of Kuwait for the war damage to the environment caused by Sadam Hussien when they invaded the country and set the oil fields on fire.

On her return to South Africa in 2008, Heather worked on over 50 energy audits for small—and large-scale projects, identifying carbon savings opportunities for the UK Carbon Trust. She has also guided companies to the international ISO 50001 (energy efficiency) certification to ensure ongoing uptake. Heather also has ISO 14000 and ISO 9000 certifications and experience in Kuwait and South Africa.

Heather is constantly studying and updating certifications in this rapidly evolving industry, has numerous energy, carbon (including forestry), and sustainability certificates, and is currently undertaking an executive Global MBA with Henley Africa.

Ben Taylor

CEO, Agora Global Ltd

Dr. Ben Taylor is the CEO of Agora Global and is an expert in systemic approaches to development. Ben has played a leading role in the conceptualisation, codification, and implantation of market systems development globally. His specialisms include applying the approach to new contexts such as education, water, post-conflict states, resilience and fragility, and basic services. He has global experience across six continents and specialises in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Ethiopia, where he has spent the last 20 years working. He has extensive experience in programme and intervention design, monitoring and evaluation, and technical advisory services.

Colin Porteous

CEO, Peace Parks Foundation

BIO TBC

Kwame Ababio

Head of the Environment and Climate Change Unit, AUDA-NEPAD, South Africa

BIO TBC

Bernardin Uzayisaba

Carbon Market Programme Specialist, UNDP

Bernardin Uzayisaba is a climate finance and carbon market expert with over 15 years of experience advancing sustainable development in Africa. As UNDP’s Regional Carbon Market Programme Specialist, he leads efforts to operationalize Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, mobilize investments, and structure high-integrity carbon credit systems across the continent. His success is amplified by his proven ability to build strong, cohesive teams, inspiring and empowering individuals to excel and collectively drive impactful outcomes.
Previously, Bernardin headed UNDP Rwanda’s Sustainable Growth Unit, where he mobilized millions in climate finance for clean cooking, ecosystem restoration, and community-led resilience projects. He also coordinated the development of Rwanda’s first Disaster Risk Atlas.
Holding Master’s degrees in Water Resources and Environmental Management and Climate Change, Development, and Policy. Bernardin blends policy acumen with technical depth. A published author and thought leader in climate-resilient development and carbon markets, he is committed to scaling clean technologies, nature-based solutions, and green finance to unlock Africa’s climate potential. He is Fluent in English and French.

Carmen Alvarez

Jurisdictional Policy Lead, Sylvera

Carmen Alvarez Campo is a climate policy and carbon markets expert with a focus on international policy and jurisdictional approaches. Carmen has advise on the design and implementation of climate and carbon pricing policies at the national and international levels. Also, she has experience helping private sector organizations assess the transition risks and opportunities associated with carbon market and climate policy developments. At Sylvera, Carmen focuses on Article 6 and jurisdictional REDD+ approaches and helps the public and private sectors navigate these spaces from a buyer, investor and seller perspective.

Fenella Aouane

Managing Director – Head of Carbon Pricing, GGGI

Fenella is Head of Carbon Pricing and a Managing Director at GGGI, leading a global team supporting governments to participate in carbon markets and overseeing multiple carbon funds purchasing ITMOs. With over 25yrs in commodity markets she has been involved in CDM primary markets completing multiple award-winning trades and starting the first public/private program with a UN entity to support project development in Africa. She’s also built and led multiple trading and brokerage teams for banks and trading houses such as Natixis and Cargill focused on energy and derivative markets.

Ibrahim Shelleng

Senior Special Assistant to the President, Government of Nigeria

Mr. Ibrahim Abdullahi Shelleng is the Senior Special Assistant to the President (of Nigeria) on Climate Finance & Stakeholder Engagement.
. Shelleng is also the Secretary of the Intergovernmental Committee on National Carbon Market Activation Plan (NCMAP) and serves as a member of the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions, as well as the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen.
Mr. Shelleng, who is a chartered stockbroker (ACS) and Associate member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments (CISI) UK, has served in leading roles across multiple financial institutions, and was Head of Business Development for the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company PLC (NMRC) before his appointment as Senior Special Assistant to the President.

Kent Davis

Partner, Webber Wentzel

Kent specialises in all aspects of financial regulatory law and has experience across more than 30 African jurisdictions. He regularly advises on insurance, collective investment schemes, financial markets, pension funds, and anti-money laundering. He has advised numerous local and foreign financial institutions on a wide range of topics, including structuring insurance arrangements, corporate restructures, governance, mergers and acquisitions, financial conglomerates and insurance groups, custody of financial assets, transfers of insurance business, the promotion of foreign funds and other financial products in South Africa. He has also acted for several financial institutions in arbitrations and other regulatory disputes.

Lize Kok

Carbon Portfolio Manager, TASC

Inspired by the interaction between the different environments of the Earth, and a deep rooted curiosity and love for nature, Lize studied Geology and Chemistry and completed her PhD focused on rain and atmospheric chemistry. Her current role as Carbon Portfolio Manager for Nature Based Solutions combines her passions to make a difference in communities that are most vulnerable to environmental change; Working with diverse and exceptional people across the globe; Learning about the beautiful complexities of the Earth, and applying groundbreaking science for a regenerative future.

Mandy Rambharos

CEO, Verra

Mandy Rambharos is the Chief Executive Officer of Verra, the world’s most widely used voluntary carbon market standard. With over two decades of experience in the energy and climate sectors, Mandy is a recognized leader in global climate cooperation and just energy transitions.
Before joining Verra, Mandy served as Vice President for Global Climate Cooperation at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), where she directed multilateral climate engagements and led initiatives to advance carbon markets and carbon pricing strategies that promote low-emissions futures while supporting marginalized communities. Her work at EDF was pivotal in shaping global climate policies under the Paris Agreement, working closely with international bodies such as the United Nations, G20, and G7.

At Verra, Mandy envisions a future where the organization not only strengthens its leadership in carbon markets but also expands its impact by driving equitable and sustainable climate solutions globally. Under her leadership, Verra aims to build on its strong foundation, fostering innovation and ensuring that climate actions are inclusive, just, and beneficial to communities worldwide.

Mercy Karunditu

Country Director, Trees for the Future

BIO TBC

Roselyn Fosuah Adjei

Director of the Forestry Commission Training Centre of Ghana and Senior Advisor Consultant to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)

Roselyn is a Natural Resources and Climate Change Specialist. She is dynamic, bold, audacious and is the youngest in her Organization’s Executive Management Team. She believes pragmatic leadership has the potential to make natural climate solutions a strong pillar in averting climate change. She is a Strong business development professional who graduated from The University of Edinburgh.

Awarded a certificate of completion for the Leadership for 21st Century Leaders Program, September, 2022, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Executive Education.

Shalendra Subramoney

Senior Manager Sustainable Business Mechanisms, Strategy and Sustainability, Business Building Strategy and Technology Sasol

BIO TBC

Reshma Shah

Lead, Carbon Markets, FSD Africa, Kenya

Reshma Shah is a strategic and impact-driven leader with over 20 years’ experience spanning sustainability, finance, risk, and business strategy. She has worked extensively across Africa and the Middle East, with a focus on the finance, infrastructure, and extractives sectors — and a growing emphasis on nature-based economies and climate solutions.

Reshma currently leads the Carbon Centre of Expertise at FSD Africa, where she is shaping the future of carbon markets across the continent. She drives strategy, policy engagement, and innovative financing models to unlock climate capital and scale high-integrity carbon markets. Her work supports both nature-based sectors — including forestry, agriculture, and land use — and technological sectors, helping them access carbon finance and deliver high-quality, verifiable credits with strong co-benefits for communities and biodiversity.

Muireann Mageras

Global Head of Sustainability Strategy, Hartree Partners

Muireann is the Global Head of Sustainability Strategy at Hartree Partners, an international energy & commodities trading firm. In this role she leads the development of new sustainability and decarbonisation-focused business activities, including environmental products trading and climate investments.
With nearly 15 years of experience across corporate strategy, sustainability, and carbon markets, Muireann has worked extensively with companies and governments on their approaches to decarbonisation and energy transition. She is a director in Hartree’s VC to growth equity energy transition fund and a member of the firm’s ESG Committee.

Olu Ademuwagun

Chief Executive Officer, NOBLESSE GREEN ENERGY

Olu (Segun) is a highly accomplished investment banker with over two decades of experience. He has actively participated in several lucrative business transactions across Africa. Throughout his career, Olu has worked for leading banking institutions, including Deutsche Bank in London, Credit Suisse in Zurich, ABN AMRO in London and Amsterdam, JP Morgan in London, and Citibank. During this time, he developed and implemented complex, high-value contract strategies, set smart objectives, and led transformational change management initiatives.
In an era of disruptive innovation, Olu has transitioned from banking to become a passionate expert in sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance). He is now steering Noblesse Green towards becoming a dominant regional leader in environmental sustainability, focusing on generating carbon credits and helping countries and businesses across sub-Saharan Africa maintain a first-mover advantage.

Ravi Raichoora

Special Advisor Carbon Markets and Climate Finance African Union Development Agency – NEPAD

BIO TBC

Dominic Wilhelm

The Global Trust Project

As the Executive Director of The Global Trust Project, I work with leaders, organisations and governments internationally to build trust-rich pathways for what matters most.

Evidence shows that trust produces better outcomes across all domains, and roles.

Candice Stevens

Founder and CEO, Sustainable Finance Coalition

Candice Stevens is the Founder and CEO of the Sustainable Finance Coalition and Co-Chair of the IUCN WCPA Sustainable Finance Specialist Group. Candice is a visionary in green finance and sustainable solutions and leverages her expertise to dove op innovative and impactful finance solutions for preserving our natural landscapes and seascapes.
In her regional and global roles, she collaborates with industry leaders and diverse stakeholders to bridge Africas nature finance gap. Her groundbreaking work in innovative finance has garnered prestigious recognition, including the UN Pathfinder Award, Ecologic Awards, Greening the Future, and Mulago Foundation Fellowship. With a strong background in law, commerce and tax, Candice has extensive experience in protected and conserved area financing, environmental law and policy-making on financial incentives. She is represented on numerous national, regional and international committees focused on financing, resourcing and area-based conservation including the Advisory Task Force on Financial Reporting to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Dion George

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment for the Republic of South Africa

BIO TBC

Erisa Senerdem

Global Lead, Carbon, Argus Media

Erisa Senerdem is the global lead for carbon markets at global price-reporting agency Argus Media and oversees the global coverage of compliance and voluntary carbon markets under the Argus Global, which includes carbon credit price indexes, market commentaries, news and in depth analysis and deep-dive policy features. Erisa has been with Argus for eleven years and previously covered biomass, power, natural gas, coal and petroleum coke markets. Prior to Argus, Erisa worked as a researcher, university lecturer, journalist and parliamentary consultant for EU legislation. She holds a Ph.D. in economics, with a special focus on the energy field.

Hugh Salway

Senior Director, Market Development and Partnerships, Gold Standard

Hugh Salway is Senior Director for Market Development and Partnerships at Gold Standard, one of the world’s leading carbon crediting standards with over 3500 projects in more than 100 countries worldwide. In this role, Hugh is responsible for Gold Standard’s partnerships with the government, corporate, investment and project development communities, as well as leading work on capacity-building, advocacy and initiatives. Prior to joining Gold Standard in 2021, Hugh worked for eight years in the British Government, most recently as its Head of International Carbon Markets, as well as other roles in HM Treasury, the Cabinet Office and the Department for Energy and Climate Change.

Laura Lahti

Head of Impact, Camco

Over 15 years of experience developing and managing climate change mitigation actions with both public and private sector clients and funders, monitoring and reporting climate and sustainable development outcomes.

At Camco, my primary focus is ensuring responsible investment, which we achieve through our impact investment strategy, effective ESG risk mitigation and management, and impact measurement and verification.

Lucy Pieterse

Chief Technical Officer, Progreen Earth

Growing up in Zambia's wild places, I developed a passion for environmental conservation that has shaped my career. With over a decade of experience in Southern Africa, I've become a leader in carbon project design, development, and implementation. My expertise spans innovative GHG accounting methodologies, field-based carbon inventory management, and baseline emissions scenario estimation. I leverage advanced earth observation tools and techniques, including custom script development in Google Earth Engine, to support and enhance carbon project development across diverse ecosystems.
My current focus is on expanding carbon finance beyond traditional boundaries, exploring new methodologies to create more inclusive and effective nature-based solutions. I'm passionate about using these tools to promote sustainable agriculture, support community development, and incentivize responsible resource management. Committed to developing projects that not only mitigate climate change, but also enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services, I strive to create lasting positive impacts for both communities and the environment.

Madeleine Garlick

Africa Director, One Carbon World

Madeleine Garlick is a strategic leader with over 20 years of experience in international diplomacy, sustainability, and global development. 
Previously, she held senior roles within the UK government, including as Deputy Head for Latin America at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and as Ambassador and UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the African Union. Her diplomatic career also includes leading the UK Embassy in Mali, representing the UK at the United Nations on peacekeeping and financial reform, and shaping global environmental policy through the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). With extensive expertise in multilateral negotiations, public diplomacy, and policy development, Madeleine is widely respected for her ability to build bridges across regions and sectors. 
She currently serves as Africa Director at One Carbon World, where she supports businesses and communities across the continent in advancing their journeys toward net zero. Her work centres on climate action, sustainable growth, and translating global policy into local impact. She is deeply networked across Africa, Latin America, and the Global South, and is passionate about fostering inclusive, collaborative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.

Maxwell Gomera

Resident Representative of UNDP South Africa and Director of the Africa Sustainable Finance Hub, Africa Region

Prior to being appointed as Resident Representative for UNDP South Africa and Director for the UNDP Africa Sustainable Finance Hub, Maxwell Gomera served as Resident Representative at UNDP Rwanda. He is a resource economist with over 20 years of experience in nature conservation and agricultural development. With experience in a range of economic development issues, Maxwell was part of the team that developed the ‘Global Green New Deal’ for reviving the global economy and boosting employment in response to the financial and economic crisis of 2008. A Senior Fellow at Aspen New Voices, he is an accomplished writer and has written for national and global media outlets.

Nicole Dewing

Co-Founder & Managing Director, Africa Carbon & Commodities

Nicole Dewing manages the day-to-day operations and communications and oversees all legal, human resources and administrative affairs. Working at ACC allows her to be part of finding sustainable solutions to pressing climate change issues and apply market-based approaches to diverse environmental problems, from damaging plastic waste to conserving our natural resources.

Outside work, she loves to spend time with family and at her organic farm with her animals, gardening, and swimming in the nearby ocean. One of her favorite pastimes is hiking in the mountains of Vermont or the Alps in France. Her favorite Senegalese meal is Mboum, a typical Seerer dish.

Stella Napanu

Indigenous Peoples Outreach and Policy Senior Manager, ICVCM

Stella is the Indigenous Peoples Outreach and Policy Senior Manager at ICVCM. She is a conservation scientist specialising in ecosystem health, particularly in rangelands management. Stella has extensive knowledge in community conservation, having worked in governance and rangelands programs for community conservancies in Northern Kenya.

She also serves as the chairperson of the National Conservancies Youth Forum under the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA), ensuring meaningful youth engagement in conservation areas nationwide, and is a board member of the National Conservancies Council, representing the youth’s voice in conservation matters and also a co-chair of the EU-Youth Sounding Board, Kenya. Additionally, she is a multi-talented artist with expertise in both visual and performing arts.

Tijani Nwadei

Partner, VIISAUS

A professional with a diverse and extensive background in both Private and Public Sectors. My career started in the energy sector where I worked on both renewable and non renewable power assets for NextEra energy; functioning in risk management and asset optimization. This was followed by a management role in Business Development at Alston. My public sector experience begun with my role as Technical Assistant to the Governor of Edo State, where I operated pro bono publico. Within this role, I led the development of the Edo State Oil Palm Program (currently adopted by the Federal Government) and the State Electricity Program. These achievements were in addition to the numerous leadership roles and programs I led in the State. A take-charge leader with extensive experience in leadership positions of increasing responsibility. Innovative planner and decision maker focused on optimising organizational efficiency and effectiveness while continually improving organizations. These experiences were brought forward alongside the ethos necessary for Co-Founding Viisaus.

Wakina Mutembei

Sustainability Lead, Kenya Airways

BIO TBC

Kyoo-Won Oh

Senior Underwriter, Carbon Finance Lead, MIGA

Kyoo-Won Oh is a Senior Underwriter at the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), the political risk insurance and credit enhancement arm of the World Bank Group.

Oh joined MIGA in 2010 after working at the World Bank as a Financial Sector Specialist.

In his current position, Oh is responsible for leading the underwriting process as well as business development. He has significant experience underwriting climate finance projects in the forestry, agribusiness, service, and manufacturing sectors in countries like Laos, Myanmar, St. Lucia, Türkiye, Kenya, and Rwanda. He is currently leading discussions with various investors for carbon credit projects in multiple countries.

Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Oh held several positions in the Export-Import Bank of Korea, including on project finance, trade finance, debt capital markets, and strategic management teams.

Oh holds a bachelor’s degree from Seoul National University and an MA from the University of California at Davis.

Atang Masilomagwe

Technical Advisor - CooPSA,GIZ

Biography - TBC

Ephraim Mwepya Shitima

Chair, African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN); Director, Climate Change Department, Ministry of Green Economy and Environment

Ephraim Mwepya Shitima is the Director of the Department of Green Economy and Climate Change in
Zambia. He has also served as Zambia’s National Focal Point under the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) -2016 to 2023, Chaired the African Group of Negotiators on
Climate Change from January 202 1to December 2023, serving as Chief Negotiator for Africa at COP-27 in
Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in 2022 as well as Dubai, the United Arab Emirates in 2023.
Mr. Shitima is an expert on national and international climate change policy and practice with experience
spanning over twenty years in both policy formulation, implementation as well as climate change
negotiations under the multilateral UNFCCC negotiation process. He has worked for the Zambian
Government on environmental issues for over 24 years

Fidoh Kens Ochieng

CEO, WICCARE Africa

Fidoh Kens Ochieng is a visionary strategist in sustainable cooling and renewable energy, drawing on a distinguished background as a former military intelligence officer, marine engineer, and US Navy veteran. With a strong foundation in research and project management, his work focuses on practical, scalable solutions that address climate change and promote environmental resilience. He holds academic and industry credentials from the University of Rwanda's Rubirizi Campus, home to the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES), where he supports clean energy transitions and cold chain development for food security, healthcare, and post-harvest loss reduction. Through WICCARE Africa Limited, Fidoh champions inclusive sustainability by advancing gender empowerment initiatives and supporting female entrepreneurs in the environmental space. His work also promotes the use of biochar fertilizer — one of WICCARE’s key innovations — as a sustainable agricultural input that enhances soil health and contributes to carbon management.

Herman Neethling

General Manager, Shell Nature Based Solutions Europe, Middle East and Africa

Herman is a senior manager in Shell’s Low Carbon Solutions NBS business, responsible for the development and management of the EMEA portfolio of natural ecosystem conservation and restoration business opportunities and ventures.
He joined Shell in 1998 and over his career, he has built up extensive business development and portfolio management experience from financial, commercial, deal delivery and general management roles across a portfolio of Shell global business opportunities, which includes managing the successful execution of large and complex mergers, acquisition, divestment and partnership deals. Herman is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst with a Masters in Finance degree and before joining Shell, he worked for Deloitte in the USA and South Africa.

Isaac Bosire

Senior Special Assistant to the President, Government of Nigeria

Isaac is a dynamic and impact-driven Environmental and Climate Change Specialist with over a decade of experience in carbon management, environmental compliance, climate risk planning, and stakeholder engagement across public, private, and non-profit sectors. He has led high impact initiatives in carbon accounting, ESIA processes, climate resilience, sustainable development practices, and gender-inclusive land governance. Currently serving as Environmental and Carbon Expert at WICCARE Africa Limited, Isaac drives THE UDONGO MZURI BIOCHAR CARBON PROJECT, advancing biochar innovation, women’s empowerment, and community-centered climate solutions..

Iain Banner

Chairman, Go Green Africa

For over 35 years, Iain Banner has founded or co-founded various successful businesses and charitable ventures throughout the world, across the sports, entertainment, luxury goods and hospitality industries. As co-founder and Chairman of E-Movement, Iain and his partners successfully staged ‘FORMULA E CAPE TOWN’ in February 2023. They also co-founded ‘AFRICA’S GREEN ECONOMY SUMMIT’, launched FORMULA STUDENT AFRICA and staged the ‘ELECTRIC’ Festival. Additionally, Iain founded ‘GO GREEN ARICA’.
Previously, Iain co-founded Sports International, the Gary Player Design Company, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the Laureus World Sport Awards and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, using sport as a tool for social change in the lives of children. Independent assessments have shown that some 6.5m children have been positively impacted by the work of the Sport for Good Foundation

Lincoln Teo

Board Advisor, ZERO13

Lincoln has extensive international enterprise and consumer data management experience within intergovernmental cooperation projects. He has extensive international enterprise and consumer data management experience within intergovernmental cooperation projects. Lincoln is in charge of driving the climate project investment facilitation and trading businesses of ZERO13 and also focusing on carbon projects within the Ghana–Singapore bilateral agreement for ITMO trading under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement amongst other key initiatives.

Samantha Petersen

West Indian Ocean Seascape Lead, WWF Africa

Dr Samantha Petersen, WWF-SWIO Regional Programme Lead: Samantha holds a PhD in Applied Marine Science and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship from the Faculty of Law at UCT in Theory of Change, systems thinking and collective action. She has published over 40 papers, reports and book chapters on subjects including ocean governance, ecosystem-based management, ecosystem impacts of fisheries, theory of change, behaviour change and systems transition. She has over 25 years’ work experience in the conservation sector including developing and implementing global change initiatives and sustainability strategies to tackle some of society’s most intractable social and ecological challenges. She has a particular interest in unlocking private sector investment to accelerate and scale marine conservation and sustainable development.

Tomas Sales

Special Advisor, UNDP Africa Sustainable Finance Hub (ASFH)

UNDP Special Advisor for Private Sector, Team Leader for Private Sector Development and Financing, UNDP Africa Sustainable Finance Hub, Pretoria.

Since 2019, Tomas leads the Africa Sustainable Finance Hub (AFSH) Private Sector and related Sustainable Investments workstreams which deals with issues of SME and informal enterprises finance and trade, regional food value chains development and resilience, green business, and carbon markets. In the previous 4 years, he was the UNDP Manager for the African Facility for Inclusive Markets (AFIM) Unit of the RSCA. Tomas is an expert on Emerging Markets Capital Markets and Business Finance, Private Sector Development and Engagement, Business Ecosystems Development Approach, Collective Action Platforms, Value Chain Development, Impact Investment and Sustainable Finance. He has a solid track record in designing, developing, and delivering successful corporate flagships products and development solutions such as the UNDP’s “Realizing Africa’s Wealth- Building Inclusive Business for Shared Prosperity Report”, the “Africa Impact Investment Action Plan and Sector Development Initiative” and the “Agribusiness Supplier Development Program” implemented in Nigeria, Kenya, and Cote Ivoire. He has helped pioneering 3 Regional Food Value Chains Facilitation Platforms with ECOWAS, COMESA and EAC, co-developed the “CAADP Investment Facilitation Project” for Investment Agencies, the strategic and business plan for the creation of the AUC AIMEC (African Inclusive Markets Centre of Excellence) and lead with the preparation of the “South Africa SDG Investor Map”, the first in the continent. Tomas also led an “Africa Impact Investment Fund of Funds Study “and the incubation and launching of the Impact@Africa, a continental impact investment network. He also contributed actively in the preparation of’ “Regulation as a Stimulus Report” to leverage the AfCTA opportunities in the post COVID recovery era. Before UNDP he served as an Emerging Capital Markets Director and Investment Advisor with Caswell Capital Partners, the Devpar Group, and the Aidoo Group in Wall Street. He holds a Post-Graduate Advanced Diploma in International Business and Finance, and Master of Arts and Science on International Economics and Development from Fordham University. He speaks English, Portuguese, and French.

Wouter Drinkwaard

Business Development Manager, Shell

I'm a business development manager in Shell's Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) team. In this role, I lead investments in nature conservation and restoration projects while pioneering innovative business models. Through these investments, I'm dedicated to enhance livelihoods, revitalize ecosystems and combat climate change.

I have led successful investments in diverse projects across Zambia, Ethiopia, Senegal, Spain, and the Netherlands, through collaborations with both businesses and NGOs. Prior to my current role, I was one of the founders of Shell's NBS team in 2016, which has grown into a team of over 100 professionals. I have co-developed Shell's initial NBS strategy and introduced pioneering nature-based offset propositions for B2C and B2B customers. I have an entrepreneurial mindset, like to come up with creative ways to solve problems and always look for a win-win solution.
Outside work, I deeply enjoy my weekly swim in the sea, climbing and spending time with my wife and 3 daughters. On Sunday mornings, I volunteer as a swim instructor for kids.

Brad Moreland

Co-Founder & Group Managing Director, TransEnergy Global

Brad is a serial entrepreneur, impact operator, and energytransition pioneer with over 25 years of global experience. With 8 years in the UK and 17 years in Asia, he spent two decades in banking (Lehman Brothers, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Merrill Lynch) before devoting the past 7 years to building highimpact ventures across Africa and Southeast Asia.
As CoFounder and Group MD of TransEnergy Global, Brad leads the development of South Africa’s first coal abatement carbon credit platform. The model acquires and holds coal reserves for 100 years, converting what would be stranded assets into climate assets directing investment and value into renewable energy strategies, climatesmart agriculture and rural energy security.

Charles Nweke

Venture Building Engagement Lead, Catalyst Fund

Charles Nweke is an impact innovation and strategy consultant with a strong track record supporting early-stage ventures across Africa to scale climate solutions and unlock carbon financing. As a Venture Building Engagement Lead with Catalyst Fund (BFA Global), Charles leads the firm’s carbon market engagement strategy — providing hands-on support to portfolio companies in assessing carbon credit potential, structuring investment-ready projects, and navigating the complexities of verification and certification.
He also led various external carbon credit research initiative, including Catalyst Fund’s research mapping Africa’s voluntary carbon market (VCM) landscape and producing a continent-wide carbon buyers’ database and interactive dashboard. These insights are helping founders identify viable credit pathways while guiding ecosystem stakeholders on scaling African-led climate finance solutions.
Charles, also an Edtech founder, brings over a decade of consulting and energy sector experience across McKinsey & Company, Infosys, and Santos Ltd., with project work spanning carbon market design, blended finance, and energy transition strategy in over 10 countries. He holds an MBA from IESE Business School, Spain, a master's in Energy & Resources from University College London, and is a Chartered Professional Engineer.

Daniel Okoth

Head of Carbon, SunCulture

Daniel has worked with development agencies on Earth Observation and AI for developing robust agroforestry monitoring systems in Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America. He led the establishment of the Earth Observation unit at Climate Partner GmbH, in this he led the technical due diligence of over 100 Nature Based Projects globally to influence purchase of carbon credits or inform new project development decision cycle. In this role he led the development of technical due diligence protocols for REDD+, Improved Forest Management (IFM), Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), Blue Carbon and ARR projects as well as the de-risking protocols for nature-based project interventions using earth observation techniques.
He leads under global advisory the design and development of the REGID Carbon tech’s Activity Data solution methodology that was later approved by VCS for demonstration of additionality on carbon projects.

Cheikh Bamba Thioye

Consultant, Africa Carbon & Commodities (ACC)

Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Thioye holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business and Diplomacy from the International Business School in Budapest and is certified in ISO 14001 and 9001 standards. With a background in sustainable development and project coordination, Bamba currently works for Africa Carbon and Commodities (ACC). He plays a supportive role in developing plastic credit projects, audits, monitoring and evaluation, and partner engagement. With previous experience as COO at YATOO, as a Junior Coordinator for carbon credit projects at ALLCOT and an intern at GIZ Senegal, he has expertise in project management, risk assessment, and stakeholder coordination.

Estherine Lisinge Fotabong

Director, Agriculture, Food Security and Environmental Sustainability, African Union Development Agency – NEPAD

Estherine Lisinge-Fotabong is the Director of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Environmental Sustainability at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). She has been honoured multiple times by African governments for her commitment to women’s empowerment and agricultural development, including awards from Egypt (2020), Ethiopia (2014), and Cameroon (2016). In 2015, she was recognised by Top Women in Business & Government as one of Africa’s leading women in agricultural policy.
Estherine holds master’s degrees in law and international affairs and has served on numerous international panels and steering committees related to biodiversity, climate adaptation, and policy implementation. Before her current role, she was the UNEP Country Liaison Officer for South Africa and held positions such as Assistant Lecturer in Law at the University of Soa, Cameroon, and Director of Policy and Strategy at WWF’s Central African Regional Programme Office. She has authored several publications on climate change adaptation, environmental law, and development policy. Her work strongly emphasises equality, gender inclusion, and sustainable development outcomes across Africa.

Franz Rentel

Managing Director, Anthesis South Africa

Franz is a carbon markets and sustainability professional with over 20 years of experience in sourcing, structuring, and developing carbon offset projects across Africa and internationally. His expertise spans carbon project origination, deal structuring, financial modelling, and stakeholder engagement.
He holds a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry, an MSc in Environmental Management, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Executive Management.
As the Managing Director of Anthesis South Africa, Franz leads the development of carbon offset projects and oversees carbon credit trading. He has sourced or developed more than 30 carbon projects globally, including household biogas in Cambodia, efficient cookstoves in Kenya, composting initiatives in Egypt, and renewable energy and waste projects in South Africa.
He is passionate about leveraging carbon finance to drive climate impact across Africa, with a focus on scaling nature-based solutions such as Anthesis’s flagship AgriCarbon programme

Jonathan First

Senior Advisor, Climate Policy Initiative

JONATHAN FIRST spent 18 years in investment banking in London, Toronto and Johannesburg and 9 years in development finance in Southern Africa after qualifying as a lawyer. Since 2012 Jonathan has focused on climate focused development finance and impact investment in Sub Saharan Africa.
At the Development Bank of Southern Africa, Jonathan developed innovative structured finance solutions and sourced funding for large infrastructure projects in SSA. He led the DBSA’s initiative to create a green bank which culminated in the establishment of the GCF co-funded Climate Finance Facility in 2018. Jonathan is currently the chairperson of Africa’s first Green Outcomes Fund and a senior advisor to Climate Policy Initiative, the secretariat for the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance. He was also part of the task team that set up the Impact Investment National Advisory Board in South Africa and a past board member and Advisor to Impact Boards, Emerging Markets.

Lorna Ritchie

Policy Director, Integrity Council on Voluntary Carbon Markets (ICVCM)

Lorna Ritchie is Director of Public Affairs for the Integrity Council (ICVCM). Over the last ten years, Lorna has worked as a policy advisor on climate change for the UK government.
Lorna led the UK Presidency’s Adaptation Negotiations at COP26 and prior to that, led the UK’s carbon markets negotiations including on CORSIA and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Marc Baker

Director & Co-Founder, Carbon Tanzania

Raised in Tanzania, Marc is an experienced field biologist, a trained environmental scientist and a dedicated lifelong conservationist. Marc is the Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Level and its partner company Carbon Tanzania, in this role Marc identifies and oversees all aspects of project origination and design, as well as managing collaborations with Carbon Tanzania’s partners in the private and government sector. Marc founded Carbon Tanzania in 2007 driven by the need to find innovative and long-term solutions to the degradation of nature, with a specific focus on habitat loss. Carbon Tanzania validated it’s first REDD project in 2011 and now manages four REDD projects across 22,000km of dryland forest in Tanzania. Carbon Tanzania has led the development of nature-based climate solutions in Tanzania, and is globally recognised as a leader, having won two international awards. At Level we are building on 15 years of experience to innovate the application of biodiversity credits to achieve habitat and biodiversity protection.

Paul Muthaura

CEO, ACMI

He is an Independent Board member of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants; British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya; ICEA LION Asset Management; and the Financial Sector Deepening Trust, Kenya.

He has previously been the Chief Executive Officer of ICEA LION General Insurance Kenya, the first African member of the Financial Stability Board TCFD insurer pilot group. Prior to that, he was the Chief Executive of the Capital Markets Authority of Kenya. In his term at CMA, he was the Africa and Middle East Regional Chair on the Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).
An Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries, he holds qualifications from University of Warwick, London School of Economics and Political Science, Maastricht School of Management, KCA University and the Academy of Executive Coaching.

Roland Dieterle

CEO, Spacial Solutions GmbH

Roland is South Pole's regional lead for business development in Africa. He is a climate change & development professional with over a decade of experience in channeling finance in developing countries. His work at South Pole is focused on identifying and developing projects supported by carbon finance for both the voluntary and compliance carbon markets - reducing GHG emissions while generating sustainable finance flows to climate-positive projects that deliver additional benefits for biodiversity, communities and ecosystem restoration.

Sandra Linstrom

Head of International Climate Cooperation, Swedish Energy Agency

BIO TBC

Shikha Sharma

Global Technical Lead for Climate Change projects, SGS Group

Shikha leads the organization’s work in the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) and has worked on over 150+ projects under CDM, VCS, Gold Standard, and other leading standards. She is responsible for the validation and verification of carbon offset and removal projects, development and management of technical audit teams, and ensuring service delivery across regions. She also plays a key role in identifying emerging market opportunities.

Storm Patel

Commercial Director, TASC

BIO TBC

Will Gifford

Policy Manager, Aviation & NCS Lead, IETA

BIO TBC

Ivan Mozharov

Co-founder Offset8 Capital

BIO TBC

Chidalu Onyenso

Founder & CEO, Earthbond

Chidalu Onyenso graduated from Princeton with a interdepartmental degree in Political Economy from the Politics and Economics department concentrating on comparative politics and writing her thesis on the correlation between entrepreneurship and political and economic stability in sub-Saharan Africa. Onyenso spent the past 8 years as a fintech product manager at both large international firms like IBM and early stage startups like Fundera by Nerdwallet and Raise.

At IBM, she led product for WorldWire, a first of a kind cross-border payments solution that helped small and medium enterprises in emerging markets across Africa and Asia send and receive payments abroad. At Fundera, she led the product team to increase customer acquisition by 7x for a small and medium business lending marketplace serving the US market. She led the integration of Fundera into Nerdwallet. At Raise, she built a product management framework and process to help the Nairobi-based seed startup rollout the next version of their cap table management software for African founders. Onyenso founded Earthbond out of the Harvard Innovation Lab in 2022 and launched during her Rock Summer Fellowship.

Edwin Cogho

Carbon Portfolio Head TASC

Edwin is an environmental scientist passionate about applying science to real-world climate solutions. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from the Atmospheric Chemistry Research Group at North-West University (NWU), where he focused on atmospheric pollutants and their interaction within the environment.
Currently, Edwin is the Carbon Portfolio Head for TASC, leading the development and implementation of high-integrity carbon projects. His work bridges scientific research with practical climate action, delivering measurable emissions reductions and removals while improving lives on the ground. This role allows him to combine his love for science with a commitment to building a more sustainable and equitable future.

Felix Mechnig-Giordano

General Manager, Terraviva

Bio TBC

Francesca Cerchia

Global Head of Climate Solutions, SGS

Francesca Cerchia is the Global Head of Climate Change and Sustainability Solutions with SGS. In her role she is responsible for the global development and management of services that promote and support the transition to greener, smarter, and safer industries & societies. She leads the work on GHG emissions verification, energy audits and efficiency measures, water stewardship and green buildings together with accreditations management.

Prior to joining SGS in 2011, she was Managing Director of Econergy International Corporation (a Suez International Group company, now Engie) in Brazil. Francesca holds an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management (USA), an MA in Politics and Economics from the College of Europe (Belgium) and a BA in Political Science from the Università degli Studi di Roma, La Sapienza. She is fluent in English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French.

Gofaone Modise

Director, Inbound Media

TBC BIO

Ousmane Fall Sarr

Coordinator West African Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance

Robin Bartmann

Chief Operations Officer, Vlinder

BIO TBC

Toni Heigl

Founder & CEO, CarbonWise Consulting

BIO TBC

Flora Ji

Vice President - Shell Nature Based Solutions, Shell

Flora Ji leads Shell’s global Nature Based Solutions (NBS) business. She and the team focus on the development of high-quality natural carbon sinks with environmental and social co-benefits, as well as nature-based market and customer solutions that can contribute to climate change mitigation.
Shell’s NBS business invests in activities that protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural ecosystems, including forest, agriculture, wetland, grassland, and coastal ecosystems. The business takes on long-term commitments in NBS projects, working closely with local communities, governments, NGOs, and other experts to ensure that the projects invested in make a demonstrable difference.
Flora joined Shell in 2006, and has worked across Downstream and Upstream in operational, commercial, and business management roles in China, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, and Singapore. She holds an MBA from IMD, Switzerland.

Gevano Dantu

CEO & Co-Founder, African Carbon Coin (ACC)

Gevano Dantu is a visionary entrepreneur and business leader with expertise in renewable energy infrastructure, finance and investment strategy, IT audit & compliance, and blockchain-enabled carbon markets. Drawing on this multi-disciplinary background, he founded Africa Carbon Coin (ACC) to connect Africa’s climate assets with global carbon finance through trusted, technology-driven solutions. His leadership combines innovation, ESG principles, and investment acumen to build high-integrity platforms that drive sustainable investment, inclusive economic growth, and climate technology leadership across the continent.

Kalyani Inampudi

Independant Consultant (ESG, Sustainability, Carbon)

Kalyani is currently working on projects related to sustainability, ESG and Carbon offsets with clients based in USA, UK, Africa and India. Her background fuses asset management and data analysis. Her experience also includes deep research and writing winning proposals for the Equity ad FI funds with leading asset management companies in the world. She has certifications from UNPRI, the Climate Disclosure Standards Board via the TCFD Knowledge Hub and the Associate Chartered Securities Investments (ACSI) for wealth and investment management. Kalyani is currently a committee member for British Standards Institute working towards the development of ISO standard 32211 (sustainable finance products and services ) IN the past Kalyani worked with VC, PE and carbon market places.

James Mansfield

Managing Director, Finance Earth

Mr. Ibrahim Abdullahi Shelleng is the Senior Special Assistant to the President (of Nigeria) on Climate Finance & Stakeholder Engagement.

Mr. Shelleng is also the Secretary of the Intergovernmental Committee on National Carbon Market Activation Plan (NCMAP) and serves as a member of the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions, as well as the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen.

Mr. Shelleng, who is a chartered stockbroker (ACS) and Associate member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments (CISI) UK, has served in leading roles across multiple financial institutions, and was Head of Business Development for the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company PLC (NMRC) before his appointment as Senior Special Assistant to the President.

Gladys Warigia

Policy Advocacy Manager, Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association

Gladys Warigia Njoroge is our strategy maverick thanks to her vast experience on policy issues on Natural Resources and Project Management.
She has been at the heart of wildlife conservation in the country in several capacities, including participating in the Technical Working Group involved in the establishment of KWCA in 2012/13 where she represented World Wide Fund Kenya.
Gladys was also in the Technical Working Group tasked with reviewing the Wildlife Conservation and Management bill 2012 where she served as a member of the secretariat. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree and she is currently pursuing a Master of Laws in Environmental Law and a diploma in Project Management.

Chileshe Chilangwa

Chief Operations Officer Mafisa

Chileshe Chilangwa is the Chief Operating Officer for Mafisa. In the 1990s, Chileshe established and led one of Zambia’s first successful local NGOs focused on rural livelihoods. Since then, she has managed large projects in Zambia and other regional countries, focusing on health, HIV/AIDS, food security, nutrition, education, and economic empowerment.
She excels at organisational development, and at building effective teams.
Chileshe holds an MSc in Development Studies from the University of Bath, England, and a BSc in Food and Nutrition Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Stefan Simon

CEO, SURUS Automotive

Shikha leads the organization’s work in the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) and has worked on over 150+ projects under CDM, VCS, Gold Standard, and other leading standards. She is responsible for the validation and verification of carbon offset and removal projects, development and management of technical audit teams, and ensuring service delivery across regions. She also plays a key role in identifying emerging market opportunities.

Taboka Motlhabane

Project Manager and Technical Advisor, PDP and CooPSA,GIZ

BIO TBC

Tim McLellan

CEO, Trees for the Future

BIO TBC

William Makwinja

CO-CEO, Phambili Energy

BIO TBC

Abdilahi Nuh

Founder and Director - Climate Innovation, Presto innovations

Angela Churie Kallhauge joined EDF from the World Bank where she served as the head of the Secretariat of the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) for five years. Before that she was at the Swedish Energy Agency where she worked for 14 years on climate change, energy and development issues.

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Roland Hunter

Regional Lead for Business Development – Africa, South Pole

Roland is South Pole's regional lead for business development in Africa. He is a climate change & development professional with over a decade of experience in channeling finance in developing countries. His work at South Pole is focused on identifying and developing projects supported by carbon finance for both the voluntary and compliance carbon markets - reducing GHG emissions while generating sustainable finance flows to climate-positive projects that deliver additional benefits for biodiversity, communities and ecosystem restoration.

Shaun Slabber

Co-Founder & CEO, Crunch Carbon

BIO TBC

Bryan Adkins

CEO, Eden: People+Planet

BIO TBC

Dorah Modise

Executive Director, Presidential Climate Commission

Dorah Modise was appointed as Executive Director of the Presidential Climate Commission in February 2025. In this role, she is responsible for running the Secretariat of the PCC and its various policy and research programmes. She previously held the position of C40 Regional Director for Africa, working in the African Region through cooperative engagements with city leaders and teams to accelerate implementation of their climate change programmes.
Dorah is a sustainability enthusiast with over 26 years’ experience in the environmental sustainability, international diplomacy, Government (local, regional & national) as well as Industry Associations.